Yifei Mo: 2024 Early Career Award recipient

PhDMS&E ’10 (BS physics ‘05, Peking University)
Materials Science and Engineering Professor, University of Maryland

A materials scientist and professor whose computational modeling and simulations have yielded groundbreaking contributions in materials for renewable-energy applications.

Yifei Mo is a world expert in modeling and designing new materials for solid-state batteries, a next-generation technology that could impact renewable energy storage, electric vehicles and the batteries in laptops, cellphones and other everyday electronics.

After completing his undergraduate degree at Peking University, Mo joined the lab of Professor Izabela Szlufarska at UW-Madison in 2004. “She had a new research direction called computational materials science. Basically, using a supercomputer, we run models of materials based on fundamental physics, such as quantum mechanics, to predict how atoms will interact,” he says. “From there we predict material properties and design and discover new materials. That basically made my career in this research field.”

After a three-year stint as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, where he began computationally exploring materials for next-generation batteries, Mo joined the University of Maryland in 2014. There, in an exemplary career, he has advised more than a dozen PhD students, published more than 90 papers in high-impact journals, and served on the advisory boards of five journals in his field. Many of the 18 patents he has been awarded are for materials he has discovered in partnership with Toyota Research North America.

The goal of his research is to find novel solid-state materials to replace the flammable liquid electrolytes in widely used lithium-ion batteries. This will make batteries safer and last longer. “What I like about materials science and engineering is that it not only leads to a fundamental understanding of these new materials and fulfills my scientific curiosity, but it also has a real-world impact, leading to better technology and improving our renewable energy future,” he says.

Which engineering professor made the greatest impact on you?

Definitely my advisor, Professor Isabela Szlufarska. I had a lot of classes with her and Professor Dane Morgan and had a lot of interactions in their research group. I learned how to do research, problem solving, writing and presentations. Through our research, I learned what is good science and how to identify important research problems. I benefitted tremendously from Izabela’s mentorship. Without that, I couldn’t have gotten this far.

Of what professional accomplishment are you most proud?

I usually like to look to the future. Through our research, we understand and clarify a few key problems in the materials development for solid-state batteries, and I hope that our work moves the field forward. Right now, this new battery technology is yet to be commercialized. Our work helps people in industry and companies to tackle some of the critical challenges. It feels good and exciting to be a part of that process.

What do you prefer?

Fun on the Terrace or fun on Lake Mendota?
I like both. I and one of my friends who was in the same group used to go muskie fishing on Lake Mendota. We didn’t have a boat, so it was like fishing in hard mode. But he actually caught one that was over 3 feet long!

UW Arboretum or Picnic Point?
Picnic Point.

Orange custard chocolate chip, or something else?
I definitely liked blue moon! We’d get ice cream from Babcock quite often and take a walk to Observatory Hill, which is a very good afternoon break if you need it. You get some needed sugar rush, some nature for relaxation, and then your brain is supercharged.